Podcasting

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Podcasting

• A Look at Whos Doing It and Why

Jean Kent, Seattle Community College Andy
Duckworth, Tacoma Community College Geoffrey
Cain, Tacoma Community College
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Session Agenda

• Define podcast and podcasting
• Describe possible uses in education
• Identify possible benefits to students
• Podcast examples
• Best practices for educational podcasts
• Quick demo (Jeans low tech methods)
• Learn more from podcasting experts - Andy and
  Geoffrey

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MP3 Players
22 million people own MP3 Players 20 have
downloaded podcasts
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Podcast Defined

• File (usually audio or video) placed on Internet
• Audio blog (web log)
• Uncensored Internet radio
• Term may be combination of iPod and broadcast
• OR, Program On Demand

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Podcasting Defined
Podcasting is a means of distributing audio and
video programs via the Internet that lets users
subscribe to a number of files, also known as a
"feed" and then to hear or view the material at
the time that they choose. A feed is usually in
the MP3 audio format.
Wikipedia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
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Possible Uses

• To distribute mini or full lectures
• To provide short review sessions
• To give practice exercises (foreign language,
  music, ESL)
• To interview interesting people
• To make class announcements
• To share industry news

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Possible Benefits

• Allows visually impaired or dyslexic students to
  get course information
• Appeals to auditory learners
• Mobility take content anywhere
• Time-shifting of content listen when it is
  convenient
• Supports new generation of students information
  needs and style

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Podcast Examples
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Question Words in Spanish
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Speaking of History
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Mathematics for the Masses
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Podcasts for Professors
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FrenchPodClass
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Tacoma CC Distance Learning
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mrexcel video podcast
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Mansfield University
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Military History Podcast
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Listen Up!
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Drexels eLearning Minute
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iTunes U
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iTunes Window
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1st Best Practice for Instructional Podcasting

• Appropriate length
• between 2 - 10 minutes
• chunk content if necessary
• too short perceived as a waste of time
• too long interest lost before podcast is
  finished

Source Rob Reynolds from www.Xplanazine.com
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2nd Best Practice for Instructional Podcasting

• Use informal tone and high energy
• helps keep students engaged
• Avoid formal presentation style of a lecture
• dont make podcast sound boring
• include bumper music to add interest

Source Rob Reynolds from www.Xplanazine.com
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3rd Best Practice for Instructional Podcasting

• Important to include context and review
• begin with clear context for info being presented
• end with review of most important things to
  remember

Source Rob Reynolds from www.Xplanazine.com
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4th Best Practice for Instructional Podcasting

• Include options for different learning style
  preferences
• offer optional transcripts and/or images
• transcripts are essential for accessibility (my
  students use them)

Source Rob Reynolds from www.Xplanazine.com
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5th Best Practice for Instructional Podcasting

• Include flexible delivery options
• make available through more than one subscription
  method (iTunes, RSS, Blog, etc.)
• maintain archives

Source Rob Reynolds from www.Xplanazine.com
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Podcast Demo

• I use Audacity (free) to record, edit, convert to
  MP3
• bit rate as low as possible for smaller files
• bumper music from Creative Commons
  (creativecommons.org)
• 35 headset/microphone
• script is essential (for me)

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Distribution Options - Easy

• make available on your web site
• provide link to mp3 files as shown below
• lta hreffd-podcast-3-6-06.mp3"gtPodcast 15lt/agt
• see SCCD Faculty Development Podcast Archives
  page

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FD Podcast Archives
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Distribution Options - Easy

• use a blog (free from Blogger.com)
• link to mp3 files
• add play notes and images
• add a site feed so students can automatically
  learn about new podcasts
• see FD Podcast Blog page

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FD Podcast Blog
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Distribution Options - Harder

• create RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed
• XML file
• can be done by hand or with software
• http//feedforall.com
• similar to HTML code
• must be updated after each new podcast

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Podcast Directories

• Podcast Alley http//www.podcastalley.com
• Education Podcast Network http//epnweb.org/
• Yahoo! Podcasts http//podcasts.yahoo.com/start
• Podzinger.com http//www.podzinger.com/

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Recording/Editing Tools

• Audacity http//audacity.sourceforge.net/
• Windows, Mac Linux
• GarageBand http//www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/
• Mac only
• Podcast Alley http//www.podcastalley.com/forum/li
  nks.php?id7

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Links to XML File Help (for RSS)

• Podcast 411 http//www.podcast411.com/howto_1.html
  
• About.com http//radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/a
  a030805a_3.htm
• FeedForAll http//feedforall.com/

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Subscribing Using RSS Feed

• users must install free podcatcher software
• iTunes iPod owners MUST use
• Juice any mp3 player can use
• Bloglines anyone can use all done through the
  web
• URL from RSS feed is copied to podcatcher
  software

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Podcasting at Tacoma CC
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(No Transcript)
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Subscribing to Content
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Providing Deeper Engagement
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Student Created Podcasts
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Tacoma Community College Podcasting Tools
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more TCC Podcasting Tools
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Discussion Questions
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Contact Us

• Jean Kent
• jkent_at_sccd.ctc.edu
• Andy Duckworth
• aduckworth_at_tacomacc.edu
• Geoffrey Cain
• gcain_at_tacomacc.edu
• session web site with links resources
  http//faculty.seattlecolleges.edu/jkent/workshops
  /teaching_learning/